Former Point Resident Announces Upcoming P.J. Jacobs 80th Anniversary Events
For the City Times
NEW YORK and STEVENS POINT – New York video content producer and former Stevens Point native Terry Kawles is working with local residents to produce “FUTURE PROJECTIONS: A P.J. Jacobs 80th Anniversary Event” as part of Portage County History Month.
“P.J. Jacobs School was dedicated on June 1, 1938, said Kawles. “ June 1, 2018 will mark the 80th anniversary of the school’s dedication. We’ve been planning this event for almost a year. Mayor Wiza issued a Proclamation designating May as Portage County History Month, so the 80thAnniversary Events are part of a greater celebration of our shared heritage.”
Scheduled Events: 80th Anniversary Exhibit Opening – Portage County Public Library
The 80th Anniversary events begin on Tuesday, May 22nd, with the opening of the 80th Anniversary exhibit at the Portage County Public Library on Main Street. The opening is scheduled for 7 pm.
The exhibit will include various photos and articles from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, as well as other school mementos. Featured will be the original 1936 architect’s drawings, on loan from the Wisconsin Architectural Archive at the Milwaukee Public Library. The exhibit at the Portage County Public Library continues until June 24th.
Scheduled Events: 80th Anniversary Open House – P.J. Jacobs Jr. High
The 80th Anniversary events grand finale is Sunday, June 3rd, with an Open House at P.J. Jacobs Jr. High from 11 am to 5 pm, followed by the grand finale: the 7 pm screening of Kawles’ documentary: “OPPORTUNITY: The P.J. Jacobs H.S. Story” followed by a video and light show to celebrate the school’s next 80 years.
The Open House will feature guided tours of the building, as well as various exhibits, photographs, and videos along the way. It will intertwine the school’s historical and architectural background with personal vignettes from the people who built it, as well as former students and teachers sharing their most cherished memories.
Kawles, who also served as the documentary’s producer and director said, “So many aspects of P.J. Jacobs’ history are unique. From its Art Deco design and the exquisite attention to architectural detail, to it being a byproduct of the Great Depression’s WPA and PWA programs, we hope to entertain, and maybe even surprise folks with parts of the story they didn’t know. In that way, maybe even gain a greater appreciation of what a marvelous piece of history-and what a unique and beautiful building they have for a district school.”
P.J. Jacobs – now a junior high school, served as the community’s high school from September 1938 until SPASH opened in January 1972.
Production To Be Partially Funded Through YouCaring
The production will be partially funded through a fund-raising campaign through the YouCaring crowding funding platform. YouCaring is specifically designed help charities and community events find the resources and support they need to make their projects a reality.
Kawles thinks it’s vital that the community feels that they are involved in creating the production. “Even though we’ve had donations from a number of community-minded organizations, it still takes additional funds to produce an event like this that is free to the public. We especially ask all our out-of-town alumni to contribute as a way of paying tribute to a building that was so much a part of our lives.”
The event’s YouCaring campaign seeks to raise $2,500 over the next 30 days.
About Terrance Kawles
Born and raised in the Stevens Point area, Terry moved to New York City in 1983 to work in the music and entertainment industry as a professional musician and then as a music and video content producer and entertainment attorney.
He currently serves on the Fox on Main’s (Fox Theater-Stevens Point) Advisory Board and is interested in fostering the creation of local/documentary video content in the Stevens Point area to preserve our community’s history.